E-filing: Exceptions to the Rules

By Michael K. Jeanes, Clerk of the Superior Court

AZTurboCourt is being phased in for attorneys who file pleadings in civil cases in the Superior Court in Maricopa County.

By May 1, 2011, all attorneys who file in civil cases will have to electronically file through AZTurboCourt, unless an exception applies. Arizona Supreme Court Administrative Order 2010-117 explains the details of the implementation of AZTurboCourt, including the attorneys and filings that are exempt from e-filing.

Applicability
Although electronic case-initiation is being tested, it is not yet available. Cases must still be initiated on paper at a Clerk’s facility. Clerk staff will cashier the filing fee and apply the file stamp and case number before scanning the paper into the Clerk’s Electronic Court Record (ECR).

Mandatory e-filing through AZTurboCourt applies exclusively to post-initiation civil case documents filed into the Superior Court in Maricopa County by attorneys filing on behalf of a client. Any attorney for whom e-filing through AZTurboCourt is not-yet mandatory may choose to e-file through AZTurboCourt. Attorneys must e-file through AZTurboCourt in civil cases according to the schedule defined in the Administrative Order.

Montini Mixes Humor with Gravitas at Membership Luncheon

E.J. Montini

By Laura Swendseid

Long-time Arizona Republic columnist E.J. Montini, who’s no stranger to receiving sharp criticism (and sometimes praise) for sharing his views on current issues, brought a mixed bag of humor, perspective and seriousness to the first Membership Luncheon of the year.

About 70 members attended the luncheon, which was held at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix on March 29.

Montini, a veteran writer who also proved to be an astute and entertaining speaker, elicited plenty of laughs through his tales of attending Catholic school, discussion on current events, and a tongue-in-cheek reading of several of the hundreds of emails he receives each day.

A Propagandist Scumbag
Among those emails, many of which were riddled with profane language, was one in which the writer called Montini a “propagandist,” “scumbag” and “pile of human garbage” (not including the expletives). Another offered the perfect solution to the border-security problem: placing Montini’s fetid corpse on the border to ward off any incoming illegal immigrants.

Montini said he came up with an apt way to respond to the malicious emails by sending the writers what appeared to be a computer-generated reply thanking them for their “kind words.” The fastest response time Montini logged after sending the email was 28 seconds, and included the writer angrily relating that they had not sent Montini a complimentary email. Montini responded post-haste by sending a second “computer-generated response” email.

Lessons from Catholic School
On a heavier note, Montini talked about the best lesson he learned in his eight years of attending Catholic School,

MCBA President Took Detour from Science to Become Lawyer

By Laura Swendseid

MCBA President David Benton

MCBA President David Benton admits that he is a very curious

person. From being involved in a host of activities totreading the paths of two very different careers, Benton has a zeal for knowledge and working with others.

Benton, who works as General Counsel at the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in the Office of General Litigation, and has been a member of the Association about six years, said he has always had a passion for learning. Born and raised in Los Angeles with three sisters – two older and one younger – he enjoyed academics and particularly in math. Encouraged by a high school teacher, he used his math skills to pursue a Bachelor’s of Science degree in chemistry from the California State University, Long Beach.

After graduating from college, Benton landed a position in materials and process engineering at McDonnell Douglas (now the Boeing Company), where he worked for eight years in materials and process engineering, followed by several years at the Hughes Aircraft Company, where among other projects, he built a machine to clean defense electronics systems with water, basically a “high-tech washing machine,” Benton explained.

Despite the mental stimulation and challenge of working on such technical projects, Benton said he lost interest in what